Jeremiah spoke the Word of the Lord to the inhabitants of Judah and to the surrounding nations during the reigns of the final five kings of the monarchy. Yahweh’s commission to the prophet is summed up in Jeremiah 1:10: “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” The prophet could speak destruction to a nation because God had already declared it to him. For the historical background of Jeremiah’s prophecies, see II Kings 22-25 and II Chronicles 34-36. Note that these prophecies are not in chronological order. His father was Hilkiah, probably the same Hilkiah the high priest who found the book of the law during the reign of Josiah. His aunt Huldah was a prophetess and the one to whom Josiah sent a delegation to inquire of the Lord. Jeremiah’s contemporaries included the prophets Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. Daniel and his three friends were probably his disciples. Ezekiel also might have been familiar with him. Jeremiah began his ministry in the thirteenth year of the rule of the godly king Josiah. His was the happiest reign of Judah’s experience. When he came to the throne at the age of eight, idolatry in every form was rampant due to the practices of his father and grandfather. But he had God-fearing advisors who turned him to the ways of Yahweh. At 16, he personally began to seek Him. When Josiah was 26 years old, Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of the Torah during the restoration of the temple. Upon hearing its words, Josiah immediately assembled all of Judah. They renewed the covenant and pledged themselves to the keeping of its commands. Sadly, the revival was only superficial. On the surface, the people appeared to have a renewed devotion to the temple and its services, but their hearts remained cold, unrepentant and actively resistant to the pleadings of compassion. Yahweh’s stern rebuke came through Jeremiah that they were a treacherous people who were only acting in pretense. (See Jeremiah 3:10). (See diagram of Last Five Kings) King Josiah’s untimely death brought to an end all hope of a true revival and introduced a succession of four evil kings, three of whom were his sons, and one, his grandson. Jeremiah thus had the unenviable task of speaking to a dying nation that refused to listen – a nation that sought solutions to its problem of national defense through foreign intrigue and foreign gods. Judah chose to put its trust in worthless, gold-encrusted wooden idols, and in the superpowers of its day, rather than trust in its covenant God. (See Jeremiah 17:5-7). The amazing thing was that in the midst of their rebellion, Yahweh reaffirmed His love for His covenant people. To an obstinate nation the Lord declared, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Israel did not cause God’s love to begin; therefore, they could not cause God’s love to end. It wasn’t that Israel was attractive to God, but quite the reverse, that He had drawn them to Himself because of lovingkindness – covenant love. Israel’s conduct demanded punishment, but God in His mercy would not completely destroy them. Those who would surrender to Babylon – the instrument of God’s chastisement – would go into exile, but one day they would return to inhabit the land. Knowing that we can rest securely in God’s everlasting love gives us tremendous comfort. If we fail, we can expect God’s discipline, but we will never be forsaken. During the last hours of Jerusalem, as the nation hovered on the edge of collapse and deportation, the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah concerning the New Covenant. (See Jeremiah 30-33). These prophecies were partially fulfilled in the return of Israel to their land some seventy years later, but were finally brought about in the Finished Work of Christ and the birth of the Church. These chapters should be thoroughly read and studied in as many translations as possible. They are the climax of all that has gone before in terms of promise, covenant and prophecy. The monarchy and priesthood teetered on the brink of ruin, and out of the darkness Jeremiah assured the people of restoration and joy in God. In July, 586 B.C., the city fell to Babylon. Zedekiah tried to escape, but was captured near Jericho and brought to Nebuchadnezzar’s headquarters at Riblah, where his sons were slain in front of him before his eyes were burnt out. Jerusalem was razed, and Solomon’s Temple was destroyed. Good tradition states that as the city lay in ruins, Jeremiah sat outside and wept, writing what we call the Lamentations of Jeremiah. Read Lamentations and enter into the feeling of the moment. The description of Jeremiah’s feelings as he witnesses God’s judgment gives us an understanding of the sufferings of Christ who, in that same spot, would fully endure all of God’s wrath.
OUTLINE OF JEREMIAH
1 JEREMIAH’S CALL 2-20 THE CALL TO REPENTANCE 2-3:5 Israel forsakes the Lord 3:6-4:4 God entreats faithless Israel to return 4:5-31 Israel’s conduct brings judgment 5 The people, priests and prophets all have rebellious hearts 6-8:20 Judah refuses to listen 8:21-9:26 Conniving Israel 10 The Living God or worthless idols 11:1-17 The curses of the covenant 11:18-23 Plot against Jeremiah 12 Jeremiah’s grievance and the Lord’s response 13:1-11 The ruined line belt 13:12-14 Filled with drunkenness 13-15-27 The king and queen have forgotten their God 14-15:9 Punishment for their sins 15:10-21 Jeremiah’s plea for deliverance 16:1-17:27 Loss of their inheritance 18:1-17 Israel has forgotten their God 18:18-23 A verbal attack against Jeremiah 19 The smashed potter’s jar 20 Pashhur imprisons Jeremiah
21-33 BABYLONIAN JUDGMENT AND MESSIANIC SALVATION
21 The way of life or the way of death 22 Evil kings rebuked 23:1-8 The Lord our righteousness 23:9-40 False prophets 24 The exiles shall return 25:1-14 After seventy years, Babylon will be punished 25:15-38 The cup of God’s wrath 26 Jeremiah’s life is threatened 27 Judah and all nations to serve Nebuchadnezzar 28 The false prophet Hananiah 29 A letter to the exiles
30-33 Restoration and the New Covenant
The heart of the prophecy is 31:31-34 vs. 31, 32 Jeremiah refers to Sinai and the covenant that place there (Exodus 19:1-6). That covenant was their charter as a nation, which has now collapsed as a total failure. Man did not keep the law given. Has God’s purpose failed? No, says Jeremiah, Israel be restored, but based on a new covenant that will deal with all the weaknesses of the first covenant. vs. 33, 34 The law once written on stone would now become a principle of life. Each member of that newly constituted Israel would have a personal, intimate knowledge of Yahweh. This indicates that there would be no need for a priesthood, for every man would stand face to face with God. Every Israelite of the renewed nation would be a priest. This new covenant would not only abolish the priesthood, but also abolish sin-offerings, for all sin would finally be paid for. Note carefully the repetition and expansion of these ideas: Jeremiah 32:38-42; 33:8-11. Jesus claimed to fulfill this New Covenant and bring it to substance. See Luke 22:20. Read carefully Hebrews 9:1-10;25, in as many translations as you can.
34-45 JEREMIAH’S MINISTRY PRIOR TO AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE FALL OF JERUSALEM
34:1-7 Zedekiah is promised a peaceful death 34:8-22 The covenant of emancipation is broken 35 The faithful Recabites 36 King Jehoiakim burns the scroll 37-38 Jeremiah’s imprisonment 39 Jerusalem falls to Babylon 40:1-6 Jeremiah released 40:7-41:15 Gedaliah’s assassination 41:16-44:30 Jeremiah’s Egyptian ministry 45 Baruch’s safety is assured
46-51 PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE NATIONS
52 An Historical Appendix
52:1-30 More details concerning the fall of Jerusalem 52:31-34 The release of Jehoiachin {width=”5.329942038495188in” height=”2.9765813648293964in”}